Means for quickly emptying crowded theaters, &amp;c.



:No. 815,997. Y PATENTED MAR. 27,1906.

L. WITTBNBERG. MEANS. FOR QUICKLY EMPTYING GROWDED THEATERS, &0.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3, 1904.

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N0. 815,997. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

' L. WITTENBBRG. MEANS FOR QUICKLY EMPTYING GROWDED THEATERS, 8w.

APPLICATION FILED 'MAB..3, 1904.

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(.Aj. rW T STATES ()FFICE'. LUDWIG Mamet-e, or BRESLAU, GERMANY. MEANS FOR QUICKLY. EMPTYING cnewb'ss r'HE ATE R s. 8m;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

Application filed March 3, 1904. Serial No.196,326.

To 06 whom it'may col learn.

Be it known that I, LUDWIG WITTENBERG, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Breslau, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Quickly Emptying Crowded Theaters and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Experience has shown that in fires breaking out in theaters or other crowded buildings the loss of life is due in most cases not to the fire direct, but to the ensuing crush caused by the panic-strickenaudience in their effort to reach the exits, of which. there is ordinarily an altogether inadequate number. The auxiliary exits are generally of no use owin to their being locked or being located 1nun ooked-for places and for the reason that often owing to-short-circuit or other damage to the plant the lights in the place have gone out.

My invention has for its object to provide means which effectually prevent people being trampled to death or suffocated in the rush of a great mass of people for a few doors of inadequate size. I partition off the individual rows of seats in such manner that climbing over from one row to the other is practically impossible, and I provide each row of seats with a separate ex1t easily opened, leading to foyers, terraces, and thence to the street.

In order to make the invention more readily understood, I will now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 represents a plan view of a theater according to my design. Figs. 2 to 4 re resent detail parts to be hereinafter referre to.

The rows of seats a are provided with rigid backs b of fireproof material and are of such height that they permit an unobstructed view of the stage a, but cannot easily be climbed over. into the anteroom or foyer e. Down the center of the auditorium a fireproof wall n is'arranged correspondingin hei ht to the'seat- 5 backs. In this manner eac row of seats forms a separate compartment whose exit From each row leads a door d can only be used by the holders of the respective seats. In case of danger the person nearest the exit naturally w1ll make for it, and thus show the others in that particular row the shortest way out. swing-doors f lead 'to the surrounding terraces 9 and to the street. In a like manner the upper tiers and the stage are provided with doors. In order to prevent the opened door-wings from being slammed shut again or locked, the doors (I and are so constructed that upon being opened to their fullest extent they recede into arecess h of the doorcase Z flush therewith, and are locked in this position. The construction of the door mechanism is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 on an enlar ed scale. The door (Z is hinged to the case at m and is provided at its front edge With a recess i. An elastic button k is correspondingly secured to the case, adapted to engage said recess for the purpose of securing the door in its closed position. A similar button k is provided at the outward j amb of the case for retaining the door in the open position. The doors may be provided'with suitable handles 0, for example, by 'recessing the door-panel and securing handles in the shape of rods across these recesses, as no part of the handle should protrude beyond the plane of the door.

In Fig. 4 is shown a construction of double swing-doors such as preferably lead from the foyer to the terrace.

An arrangement as described giving a separate exit for a limited number of people say twenty-five to thirtywill effectually prevent a dangerous crush and jam, even in case of a anic, and even the largest theater should easll be emptied in less than a minute. What I c aim is Means for quickly emptying crowded theaters and the like, comprising fireproof parti= tion-wall's of a height to allow an unobstructed view of the stage but-prevent climbing over, separating the individual rows of seats into non commumcatlng compartments, a swing-door for each such compartment leading to the foyer, swing-doors leading from the foyer to the street, means for securing the said swing-doors in the closed and opened position, comprising a door-case recessed to re- From the foyer e 1 loo my invention I haYe signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LUDWIG WITTENBERG.

Witnesses SIEGFRIED MERKER, LoUIs KATZ. 

